Domestic Violence

Victims of Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence Hotline

(480) 736-4949 or 1-866-205-5229 or 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

As pastors of the Catholic Church in the United States, we state as clearly and strongly as we can that violence against women, inside or outside the home, is never justified. Violence in any form”—physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal”—is sinful; often, it is a crime as well. We have called for a moral revolution to replace a culture of violence. We acknowledge that violence has many forms, many causes, and many victims—men as well as women.

The Catholic Church teaches that violence against another person in any form fails to treat that person as someone worthy of love. Instead, it treats the person as an object to be used. When violence occurs within a sacramental marriage, the abused spouse may question, “How do these violent acts relate to my promise to take my spouse for better or for worse?” The person being assaulted needs to know that acting to end the abuse does not violate the marriage promises. While violence can be directed toward men, it tends to harm women and children more. (USCCB, When I Call For Help..)

• Telling you that you never do anything right.
• Showing extreme jealousy of your friends or time spent away from them.
• Insulting, demeaning, or shaming you, especially in front of other people.
• Preventing you from making your own decisions, including about working or attending school.
• Pressuring you to have sex or perform sexual acts you’re not comfortable with.
• Intimidating you through threatening looks or actions.
• Destroying your belongings or your home.
• Intimidating you with weapons like guns, knives, bats, or mace.

• An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States — more than 12 million women and men over the course of a single year. (National Domestic Violence Hotline)
• 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) aged 18 and older in the US have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. (National Domestic Violence Hotline)
• Children witnessed violence in nearly 1 in 4 (22%) intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts.
• One study found that children exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average. (National Domestic Violence Hotline)